Random Thoughts – Randocity!

Here’s a brand awareness campaign. I don’t really understand the need to create this brand awareness, but here it is in all of its highly annoying glory. Let’s watch… then discuss.

What went wrong?

As you may notice, this is ad #7. Apparently, Unilever has created a whole passel of these things. I’ve watched a few of them, but this version is the one that’s being heavily played on the channels I’ve watched. Like the GrubHub delivery dance before it, it’s now being played in exceedingly heavy rotation. Whenever this commercial comes on, I turn it off.

What’s wrong with it? The pseudo rap segment in the middle of this advertising is as annoying as fingernails on a chalkboard (i.e. equal to GrubHub’s delivery dance music). If you’re planning on adding a rap segment, at least hire someone who can actually rap. In fact, this commercial is so annoying that it completely undermines the message of “good” that Unilever is actually claiming that it is doing for nebulous “communities”. Statements like these can be easily made, but which don’t need to be backed up.

In advertising, annoying advertising is fruitless and undermines the message. Clever is what bring in customers, what people remember and reinforces the message. This commercial is not clever, not unique, annoying and, most of all, completely forgettable.

I’m not even sure what the point is to this brand awareness campaign? In fact, I’d suggest that it’s actually better to advertise Dove, Suave and Hellmann‘s brands separately in their own commercial ads, then attach a small Unilever portion discussing the “good”. This brand awareness advertisement makes me want to avoid all of these brands when shopping. I don’t really care how much “good” you claim to be doing, I don’t want to hear about it in what may be the most annoying “brand awareness” commercial advertisement of 2021.

Rating: 1 of 5 (annoying, undermining, lame)

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